Judges 17 & 18: No Magistrate In The Land
Verse of the Day: (18:7) Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and there were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man. 

1. Mother (17:1-13)
And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. (17:2)

Be careful of our hearts and tongues, as out of them, we bless and curse God and man. Micah’s mother cursed the one who had stolen her money, then blessed her son as she realised that he stole it. Micah and her mother lived in Israel during the time when everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Instead of worshipping the true God, they worshipped idols, and Micah even consecrated one of his sons to be the priest, when they were not even from the tribe of Levi. They had indeed forsaken God and His holy commandments which He had given them through His servant, Moses. (James 3:1-12)
    
2. Magistrate (18:1-29)
In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel. (18:1)

Not only Micah forsook God, even the tribe of Dan forsook God when they stole the idols from Micah’s house to worship them, while they were on the way searching the land to possess their inheritance. This is the pride and depravity of man that we will rather worship idols that we make than the true God who creates us. The Danites then chose to possess the land where there was no king or magistrate so that they could do what they pleased including shameful and evil deeds. This was the state of affairs and it must have grieved God very much. Let us therefore repent of our sins, and worship God who is our King and Magistrate, and do what is pleasing and good before Him. (Titus 3:1)

3. Micah (18:30-31)
And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. (18:31)

Not only Micah and the tribe of Dan, but the whole of Israel worshipped idols for a long time until their captivity. Indeed, man is full of himself, and this is why he makes idols to worship his own inventions, and refuse to acknowledge God who creates him. Let us flee from idolatry, and worship only the true God and our Saviour. (1 Corinthians 10:12-14)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are my King and Magistrate whom I worship.